diff --git a/containers/api-proxy/guards/effective-token-guard.js b/containers/api-proxy/guards/effective-token-guard.js
index bc7aeaf3c..f7fa65752 100644
--- a/containers/api-proxy/guards/effective-token-guard.js
+++ b/containers/api-proxy/guards/effective-token-guard.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const { parsePositiveInteger } = require('./guard-utils');
+
 const ET_WARNING_THRESHOLDS = [80, 90, 95, 99];
 
 const ET_DEFAULT_WEIGHTS = Object.freeze({
@@ -33,13 +35,6 @@ const effectiveTokenConfigCache = {
   parsed: { max: null, multipliers: {} },
 };
 
-function parseMaxEffectiveTokens(raw) {
-  if (raw === undefined || raw === null || String(raw).trim() === '') return null;
-  const parsed = Number(raw);
-  if (!Number.isInteger(parsed) || parsed <= 0) return null;
-  return parsed;
-}
-
 function parseModelMultipliers(raw) {
   if (!raw || String(raw).trim() === '') return {};
   try {
@@ -69,7 +64,7 @@ function getEffectiveTokenConfig() {
   effectiveTokenConfigCache.rawMultipliers = rawMultipliers;
   const parsedMultipliers = Object.freeze(parseModelMultipliers(rawMultipliers));
   effectiveTokenConfigCache.parsed = {
-    max: parseMaxEffectiveTokens(rawMax),
+    max: parsePositiveInteger(rawMax),
     multipliers: parsedMultipliers,
   };
   return effectiveTokenConfigCache.parsed;
diff --git a/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.js b/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..84b0a9c72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+'use strict';
+
+function parsePositiveInteger(raw) {
+  if (raw === undefined || raw === null || String(raw).trim() === '') return null;
+  const parsed = Number(raw);
+  if (!Number.isInteger(parsed) || parsed <= 0) return null;
+  return parsed;
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  parsePositiveInteger,
+};
diff --git a/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.test.js b/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9edcfe7f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/containers/api-proxy/guards/guard-utils.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+const { parsePositiveInteger } = require('./guard-utils');
+
+describe('guard-utils', () => {
+  describe('parsePositiveInteger', () => {
+    it.each([
+      undefined,
+      null,
+      '',
+      '   ',
+      0,
+      '0',
+      -1,
+      '-1',
+      '1.5',
+      'abc',
+    ])('returns null for %p', (raw) => {
+      expect(parsePositiveInteger(raw)).toBeNull();
+    });
+
+    it.each([
+      [1, 1],
+      ['1', 1],
+      [' 42 ', 42],
+    ])('for raw value %p returns %p', (raw, expected) => {
+      expect(parsePositiveInteger(raw)).toBe(expected);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/containers/api-proxy/guards/max-runs-guard.js b/containers/api-proxy/guards/max-runs-guard.js
index 13f598e21..e6d153a20 100644
--- a/containers/api-proxy/guards/max-runs-guard.js
+++ b/containers/api-proxy/guards/max-runs-guard.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const { parsePositiveInteger } = require('./guard-utils');
+
 let maxRunsGuardState = {
   configKey: null,
   invocationCount: 0,
@@ -10,20 +12,13 @@ const maxRunsConfigCache = {
   parsed: null,
 };
 
-function parseMaxRuns(raw) {
-  if (raw === undefined || raw === null || String(raw).trim() === '') return null;
-  const parsed = Number(raw);
-  if (!Number.isInteger(parsed) || parsed <= 0) return null;
-  return parsed;
-}
-
 function getMaxRunsConfig() {
   const rawMax = process.env.AWF_MAX_RUNS;
   if (maxRunsConfigCache.rawMax === rawMax) {
     return maxRunsConfigCache.parsed;
   }
   maxRunsConfigCache.rawMax = rawMax;
-  maxRunsConfigCache.parsed = parseMaxRuns(rawMax);
+  maxRunsConfigCache.parsed = parsePositiveInteger(rawMax);
   return maxRunsConfigCache.parsed;
 }
 
diff --git a/containers/api-proxy/guards/timeout-steering.js b/containers/api-proxy/guards/timeout-steering.js
index 58406fb22..035527b7e 100644
--- a/containers/api-proxy/guards/timeout-steering.js
+++ b/containers/api-proxy/guards/timeout-steering.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const { ET_WARNING_THRESHOLDS } = require('./effective-token-guard');
+const { parsePositiveInteger } = require('./guard-utils');
 
 const TIMEOUT_STEERING_MESSAGES = {
   80: 'You have used 80% of your allotted run time. Begin planning to wrap up your current work.',
@@ -25,20 +26,13 @@ const timeoutSteeringConfigCache = {
   parsedMinutes: null,
 };
 
-function parseAgentTimeoutMinutes(raw) {
-  if (raw === undefined || raw === null || String(raw).trim() === '') return null;
-  const parsed = Number(raw);
-  if (!Number.isInteger(parsed) || parsed <= 0) return null;
-  return parsed;
-}
-
 function getTimeoutSteeringConfig() {
   const rawMinutes = process.env.AWF_AGENT_TIMEOUT_MINUTES;
   if (timeoutSteeringConfigCache.rawMinutes === rawMinutes) {
     return timeoutSteeringConfigCache.parsedMinutes;
   }
   timeoutSteeringConfigCache.rawMinutes = rawMinutes;
-  timeoutSteeringConfigCache.parsedMinutes = parseAgentTimeoutMinutes(rawMinutes);
+  timeoutSteeringConfigCache.parsedMinutes = parsePositiveInteger(rawMinutes);
   return timeoutSteeringConfigCache.parsedMinutes;
 }